Change of Mind
by AnimeFantasy101
Summary: May has just set out on her journey to become the Pokemon Master! Raised to be a tough fighter, how will she handle meeting a boy whose only interest is becoming the Top Coordinator? Will he change her ideals throughout their journey? CONTESTSHIPPING
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

"Torchic, Ember!" A girl's voice shouted in the distance. The small, orange and yellow chick-like creature gave a small chirp of recognition before obediently opening its beak and letting lose said attack.

"Mudkip, counter with Water Gun!" a young male voice commanded. The blue finned creature jumped up, orange cheeks expanding as it threw its head back and released the strong water attack. The girl, having short brown hair, sapphire eyes, and wearing a red, dark blue, and white polo shirt with a white undershirt, black spandex shorts and a matching red and white bandana along with dark blue and white gloves, clutched her hand into a ball and fist pumped the air.

"Yes! Now Torchic, dodge and use peck!" At the sound of its master's stern yet energetic command, Torchic responded to the water attack with fierce determination, avoiding its weakness of the cool blue liquid and jumped towards the assailant, landing a hard blow to its body. The water creature weakly stood up before collapsing back onto the ground, too weak to continue the battle any further.

"Good job Mudkip, you deserve a rest." The boy said. He wore a black and red headband with white hair on top and black coming out from the bottom. He had on a red and black shirt with black pants. His piercing ruby eyes looked towards the brunette and a soft smile appeared on his face.

"Good job Torchic!" The girl smiled. "You did great as usual!"

"Geez, May, for once I thought I was gonna beat you. You proved me wrong again!" May looked towards her longtime friend with a big grin plastered on her face.

"You're just too predictable Brendan!" She informed the boy, patting him on the shoulder as he hung his head animatedly down in defeat. His head shot up quickly though and he elbowed the girl playfully in the arm.

"You are majorly ready to start taking on the Gym Leader's challenge!" May laughed as she bent over and picked up her Torchic.

"You think so? They all have really strong Pokémon, I've heard." Brendan slung his arms around the girl's slender shoulders and sighed.

"Yes, yes, that's true, but you've raised your Pokémon really well. In your training alone you've managed to beat almost every trainer in Petalburg City! The only trainers you haven't beaten are ones that are too afraid to go against you!" May blushed in embarrassment but felt a burst of pride run through her veins.

"Well, becoming strong and winning all of your Pokémon battles or challenges are essential if you want to become the Pokémon Master!"

"Pokémon Master…" Brendan repeated under his breath before smiling widely at his friend. "You'll have to get through me first!"

"Already have." May smugly responded, making Brendan sweatdrop as he recalled all of the times he was beaten by the fiery brunette. May continued walking back towards home, imagining her future adventure and all of the great battles she would have. She squeezed her Torchic closer to her chest in anticipation, heart racing.

She was going to win it all.

* * *

"Ah, May, your back." The tall man known by the name of Norman greeted his daughter, noting the triumphant grin that hung on her face as she walked into his gym. "I take it your rematch with Brendan went well?" May nodded.

"Yep! I beat him again! He never stood a chance to begin with, seeing as how I memorized his entire battle strategy and came up with my own ways to counter it! Even though he had the advantage type he still came out behind me!" Torchic chirped with happiness at its prized victory. Norman smiled.

"I'm so proud of you for following in my footsteps with my love for battling. I just know you would make an excellent Pokémon Master." May's eyes widened in shock at the turn of the conversation.

"Pokémon Master?" She gasped; the words that ran through her head a million times sounded foreign when they came from her father's lips. Norman was the Petalburg City's Gym Leader, and he was one of the strongest ones there was. He had risen May since she could talk how to train, handle, and battle with Pokémon. She never complained, being one of the headstrong types that love a challenge. But she knew her father recognized anyone who had potential to achieve a goal that high, and just mentioning to May that _she _would make an excellent Master lit up the young girl's face. Norman nodded.

"If you're anything like me, which you've proved that you are many times, then you will be a fearsome opponent and be able to conquer anyone who stands in your way! You have a strong love of battle and a fierce desire of winning, yet you treat your Pokémon kindly and lovingly. You have all of the qualities only a Pokémon Master has!" May was a bright shade of red after hearing all her father had to say about her. She felt something well up inside of her that told her she just couldn't let him down!

"Thanks Dad, I'll make you proud, I promise!" May stood sat her Torchic down on the gym floor and balled her hands up into fists. "I'm going to go take on the Gym Leader's challenge and win! Not just here either, all over! I'm going to go to all of the regions and defeat the Gym Leaders!" Norman laughed at his daughter's eagerness.

"Alright, but before you get too far ahead of yourself, know this; the day you come back home to challenge me will be one of the greatest moments in my life. Just know that I'll be with you in spirit as you travel around on your journey. You're going to do great." May bent over and picked up Torchic, looking back at her father. She gave him a smile and a nod before turning and running out. She wished she could do more than that, but her family's pride didn't allow anyone to act like that. It showed a sign of weakness. She didn't really mind though, for being affectionate wasn't really her thing.

* * *

"I didn't think you'd be leaving so soon! I just gave you the idea this morning!" May smiled towards Brendan as he walked beside her away from Littleroot town where she went to in order to say goodbye to her mother and little brother.

"Yeah, well, Dad was going on about how proud he was of me for killing you in a battle for the second time and I guess I didn't really think the rest through." Brendan let out a sarcastic sounding laugh as he crossed his arms.

"I went easy on you both times!" He retorted. May waved him off.

"Yeah yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night." She snickered. Brendan playfully punched her arm. "I'm just kidding!" She smiled. "You are really strong Brendan, are you going to try to become the Pokémon Master too?" The black and white haired boy shrugged.

"Who knows? You're strong, are you going to try to become the Master?" He mocked. "Or are you going to be a coordinator and enter contests?" May scoffed.

"Who would want to enter those stupid things?" She asked, a look of pure disgust on her face. Brendan laughed.

"They're just like Gym Leader battles, only you win ribbons instead of badges."

"Then why don't you become a coordinator?" The brunette huffed.

"Well, I decided to stick around here and help Dad with some research." May recalled Professor Birch, the man who gave her Torchic just a few months before. Before then, she would use her father's Pokémon to train with until she got her own. She was amazed at how quickly she managed to get a reputation around her hometown for being a strong trainer.

"Well, one less trainer in my way," May teased her friend. Brendan laughed and the two continued on like that until they reached the outside of Petalburg City.

"Well, this is where I begin my journey." The sapphire eyed girl said as she stopped and looked at the endless road ahead of her. She gripped onto her orange, newly acquired pouch that hung loosely around her waist as she mentally prepared herself for the first step. She felt a firm, assuring hand on her shoulder.

"You'll do fine. I'm sure I'll see you every now and again while gathering data for Dad." May nodded to Brendan.

"Yeah… well I better get going! Gym badges don't earn themselves!" She smiled. Brendan smiled back.

"Yep! Now get out of here! I need to start training for when I see you again!" He began to push her towards the route playfully. "Mudkip and I won't go easy on you next time!"

"I'll be sure to see to that!" May challenged as she gave one last wave of farewell to her childhood friend and started walking, taking the first few steps of her journey towards the orange sunset.

* * *

"You saw it here, folks! Yet another spectacular performance from the young coordinator Drew from LaRousse Town!" The audience screamed with excitement as the screen went black, creating utter silence. Norman placed the remote back on the shelf of his office at the Petalburg Gym and shook his head. How people could get so excited over something as trivial as a Pokémon contest was beyond him. The thought made him further appreciate his daughter and the path she has chosen to compete in gyms and not weak things like this. He looked out the window at the bright orange sunset settling over Hoenn. _Make me proud May._


	2. Chapter 2: Requiem for a Battle!

"Use Peck!" May shouted, pointing towards the small red figure standing weakly a few yards ahead of her. Torchic obeyed and jumped towards the weakened Pokémon, tackling it with its hard beak. The Pokémon flew backwards, landing a few feet away from the attacker.

_Now's my chance! _May thought as she pulled out a Pokéball, throwing it towards the target.

"Go Pokéball!" She shouted. The red and white ball hit the target dead on, and the Pokémon became engulfed in a bright red light before being sent into the device. May watched with anticipation as the ball shook a few times. Finally, a click was heard and May sighed with relief. She walked over and picked up the Pokéball, happily holding it up in the air.

"Yes! I caught a Wurmple!" She knew it wasn't a very strong Pokémon to begin with, but it was an easy catch and she figured that it could be useful when it evolved. Plus it was really cute! Despite being a lover of strong Pokémon and battling, May was a girl and she did have a girly side. She was glad she was in Petalburg Forest. Suddenly, the sound of slow clapping could be heard behind the sapphire eyed girl. May turned around to see a boy, around her age, standing there with a smug look on his face. He had emerald eyes, matching hair, and wore a black turtle neck shirt, a short sleeved purple overcoat, and light blue pants. May looked down at the green Pokémon that stood beside its trainer. It was a nice grassy shade of green with red and blue roses for hands.

"Nice moves," The boy said as he stopped clapping. "Too bad they were wasted on a Wurmple instead of something with more talent and beauty." May stood there for a moment before the boy's words processed in her brain. Her face turned red at the insult to her newly caught Pokémon.

"H-HEY! Don't you dare insult my Pokémon! Who do you think you are?" She fumed, pointing rudely at the boy. He flipped his emerald locks out of his face and smiled.

"Calm down little girl!" He replied, holding out his hand to quiet her. "If you must know, I'm Drew." He smirked. May bent down and picked up her Torchic, glaring daggers at the boy. "You would be?" he asked, making it sound like bored statement then a question.

"May," May replied simply.

"I see. Anyways, I wasn't insulting your Pokémon, just _insinuating_ that I hope you weren't planning to enter it in any contests unless it evolves." May nearly choked.

"Contests?" She asked, forcing herself to keep from laughing. "Who would want to enter any of those? I'm looking for Gym battles. I'm going to become a Pokémon Master." For a moment, Drew had a look of surprise on his features, but it disappeared in a blink of an eye.

"Oh, I assumed you were, seeing as how people usually catch bug or grass type Pokémon to use for contests. My mistake." He sent May another smug looking smile. "I don't know how I could have confused a battling barbarian such as yourself as someone who loves the beauty and style of Pokémon." May balled her hands up into fists and squeezed her Torchic tighter. The chick Pokémon let out a strangled chirp.

"_Barbarian?_" She said through clenched teeth. She sent a smug look right back. "W-well I suppose I would rather be a battling barbarian then a…petty wimp!" Drew laughed at the lame insult.

"Nice comeback." Drew sneered. "It almost hurt."

"Why you-!" May shouted as she charged towards the emerald eyed boy. Drew easily planted his hand on her forehead and held her back.

"Well, I had my fun for the day. I need to be somewhere, so if you don't mind, come on Roselia." He urged the Pokémon right next to him. He turned around and waved. "See you around, _May_," He said with a hint of, was that sarcasm? With that, they walked off towards the exit of Petalburg Forest. May released the death grip on her Pokémon and it fell animatedly to the ground.

"Tooooorrr…" It said. May sweat dropped.

"Sorry Torchic, that guy just makes me so mad! I talked to him for two seconds and already I made an enemy! Did you hear how he said my name? I don't like the tone of his voice! I don't like his voice at all! In fact, I'm going to erase this part of the day out of my head!" She sat on the ground with a huff and crossed her arms. "Next time I see him, oh he's gonna get it! I hate people like him!" May reached into her bag and pulled out a little pamphlet. "Anyways, back onto IMPORTANT matters." She flipped through a few pages until she came to the map. "Let's see, the first I get through the woods, then I'll be on route to Rustboro City. It looks about a day or two away." May flipped the page.

"Tor, Torchic!" Torchic chirped. May pat it on the head and went back to the pamphlet.

"I know you're excited about your first gym challenge! Let's see here…" She skimmed down the page. "…The Gym Leader of Rustboro City is Roxanne who specializes in rock-type Pokémon. We don't have a very promising advantage…" May sighed. "Fire attacks would be nothing against rock." She held out her Pokéball containing the recently caught Wurmple. "Wurmple would stand more of a chance, but you both are affected by rock pretty well when attacked." May mumbled half to Torchic, half to herself.

"MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYY!" A voice shouted out from behind the brunette. May's head shot up and she turned around to see Brendan running towards her.

"Brendan?" May questioned as the white and black haired boy slowed to a halt, bending over to catch his breath.

"F-finally…found you!" He half heartedly cheered between gasps. May smiled.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, standing up and brushing herself off. "You don't miss me already, do you?" she asked in a teasing tone. Brendan finally caught his breath and scoffed.

"You kidding me? Its only been a couple of days. I'm here on a mission." He replied, reaching into the pack that hung around his shoulders. He pulled out a Pokéball and held out his hand, offering it to the girl. May took it in confusion.

"What's this?" She asked. Brendan laughed.

"It's a Pokémon!" He said. May glowered.

"No stupid, I mean _what's it for_?" Brendan scratched the back of his head.

"It's from your dad. He said that he wanted me to find you and give you one of his Pokémon to use for your first Gym battle." May was shocked.

"Really? But why?" She asked. Brendan shrugged.

"Who knows, but he wants you to call him after you beat your first Gym Leader." May nodded and held out the Pokéball, stared at it intently.

"Well," She smiled widely, "better see what you brought me!" She tossed the ball in the air and a red flash of light shot out to the ground in front of the two trainers, slowly morphing into a large form. May stared at the large white form, face frozen in horror. Brenan laughed.

"Well, probably not what you were expecting!" He smiled. May's eyebrow twitched.

"He loaned me…Vigoroth?" She questioned. Vigoroth swung its arms around happily, running around the area in content at being out of the small ball. May turned towards Brendan. "Why would he send me _Vigoroth_? I was hoping for something…cuter." Brendan crossed his arms smiling.

"Well, you practically raised Vigoroth since it was a Slackoth right? So you already pretty much know how to use it. Plus you two have a bond~" May sighed.

"Yeah…" She brightened up. "Well, might as well make the most of it! Besides, Vigoroth will stand a much better chance against Roxanne's rock-type Pokémon!" She balled her hands up into fists. "There's no way I'm gonna lose now!"

"That's the spirit!" Brendan cheered. May looked over at him.

"Does this mean that you're going to be heading back to Littleroot town now?" she asked. Brendan scratched his head.

"Well I _should, _but after the long journey it took me to find you, I think I'll stick with you for a while to make sure you make it to the first city!" May bent over and picked up Torchic.

"Suit yourself," she huffed at the apparent insult. The duo began walking towards the exit of Petalburg woods, talking about their recent experiences.

* * *

"So May, have you made any new friends since you left home?" May shook her head.

"Nope. I haven't even talked to anyone yet." A thought crossed her mind. "Well there was this one guy…" A scowl appeared on her face. "He was a big jerk. He insulted my Wurmple and called me a battling barbarian! I think his name was Drew or something stupid like that."

"He can't be that bad!" Brendan exclaimed. "It was just a bad first impression. Maybe you should hang out and talk to him more." May looked back at her friend skeptically.

"Your kidding me right? The kid said I didn't love the 'beauty and style' of Pokémon! He also mistook me for someone who participates in contests! I almost died of laughter!" Brendan thought for a moment, looking around at the sudden appearance of trainers left and right that were working with Pokémon on perfecting battle moves. Something looked off though when a thought hit him.

"Maybe he participates in Pokémon contests?" He suggested, realizing that all of the people around here must have been getting ready for some kind of Contest. May shrugged her shoulders, not noticing her surroundings.

"Who cares? All I know is that he isn't someone I want to run into again." Suddenly, May crashed into something hard, falling back on her butt. She looked up in embarrassment to see the topic of her conversation.

"Drew?" She asked, looking in his clear emerald eyes.

"Oh, it's you." He said in a rather bored fashion, a smirk on his flawless face. Brendan walked over and helped the brunette girl up.

"Is this your friend you were telling me about?" He asked cheerfully. May gasped.

"We are NOT friends!" She shouted. "Anything BUT that!" The white haired boy laughed as he turned towards the green haired boy.

"I see! Well, my name is Brendan!" he said as he held out his hand. Drew smiled and took it.

"Drew," he replied. Then he turned towards May. "So you decided to enter the Pokémon Contest after all?" He smirked, running his fingers through his bangs. May looked out in the background. A large red building stood with a large sign that read CONTEST HALL on the front. She fumed.

"No! I told you, I'm a trainer! I battle! Not participate in stupid little contests!" Drew crossed his arms, the smile never leaving his face.

"That's good; after all, you just missed the signup deadline."

"Good," May shot back. "Contests are for weak trainers who can't last in a REAL battle."

"Uh, May, that's—" Brendan started when Drew cut him off.

"Really?" He asked, sarcasm dripping like venom in his words. "Then do you want to have a Pokémon battle?" May froze in surprise.

"May, you don't—" Brendan tried to say but was cut off by the sapphire eyed girl.

"Wait, what?" She asked.

"You heard me," Drew replied. "Battle me. For a strong trainer like you, battling a weak coordinator like me should be a piece of cake." May nodded.

"May, I—" The ruby-eyed boy tried again, only to be cut off AGAIN.

"Fine, you asked for it!" She smiled and released Torchic from her arms. "Torchic, you're up!"

"Go Roselia!" Drew pointed to the Pokémon that was standing by his side the whole time.

"Maaaay!" Brendan whined. May turned towards the boy with fire in her eyes.

"What? I'm busy! Tell me in a minute!" She shouted, eager to show this green haired snooty fruit loop a lesson. Brendan fell back and raised his arms up defensively.

"Okay okay, but you asked for it!" He smiled. May shook off what he just said and focused on the battle.

_Drew, you're gonna get it! Battling is my specialty! _May thought with a smirk on her face. Drew seemed unfazed, his trademark smirk plastered on his face.

"Ladies first!" He called across the battle area to May. She smiled.

"You're going to regret that! Torchic, Ember!" Torchic chirped anxiously and obeyed released said attack.

"Roselia, stop it with Petal Dance!" Drew calmly ordered. Roselia made gentle looking petals appear shoot up in the air and shower the field, causing the oncoming flames to dwindle out before reaching the target. May stared in awe at the attack. She's seen it before, but the way Drew's Roselia used it made it look…amazing. She quickly shook off this thought and focused back onto the battle.

"Torchic, Peck!" She shouted, fist pumping the air. Torchic charged towards the green Pokémon at full speed, sharp beak extended. Drew flipped his hair out of his face, only to have it fall back into place.

"Roselia, dodge." He said. Roselia ran towards the approaching Torchic, jumping over it at the last second before the two made impact. "Now use Stun Spore." The grass Pokémon span around in a fast circle, releasing golden-like glitter all over the chick Pokémon.

"Torchic! No! Dodge it!" May shouted. Torchic, who had just stopped the attack, had no time to react to the command as it was showered with the paralyzing substance.

"Tor!" It shouted as it tried to move but couldn't.

"Now use Magical Leaf." The emerald-eyed boy commanded. Bright glowing leaves seemed to dance towards the target as they hit the orange Pokémon dead on. May was stunned, much like her Torchic, but by the beauty of the attack and not from the attack itself. As soon as she saw her Pokémon hit, however, she snapped out of it and shrieked.

"No!" May squealed, hands rising up to her cheeks in astonishment. Brendan let out a whistle.

"A direct hit! Torchic's done for." He exclaimed, looking towards the weakened Pokémon. Torchic laid there on the ground, squiggly circles for eyes that clearly showed that the battle was over. May fell to her knees, eyes wide in shock.

"No way…I…lost…?"


	3. Chapter 3: The Boy With Many Fangirls!

"I don't get it! How could I lose?" May whined as she looked on towards her defeated Torchic. She then glanced over at Drew who was smiling and congratulating his Roselia.

"I tried to tell you May," Brendan said as he walked over towards the brunette, reaching down to help her up. "Pokémon Coordinators are really strong opponents. They not only focus on the strength of the attack, but they also focus on the beauty of it as well. Combining flashy stunts and strong attacks can be deadly to any regular trainer." May scowled.

"NOW you tell me!" She silently hissed. Brendan sighed. Drew walked towards the two trainers, a look of triumph on his face. May looked on towards him and, despite all of the rage she felt towards the green haired boy, smiled and held out her hand. "Good job," She said, "you sure surprised me." Drew flipped his hair and smiled, completely ignoring her offer of good sportsmanship.

"You weren't too bad yourself, but you haven't seen even a fraction of what I can do." May frowned and crossed her arms.

"You haven't seen a fraction of what _I_ can do either!" She bellowed, regretting trying to be a good sport to the arrogant boy. "I was going easy on you! I want a rematch!" Drew placed his hands in his pockets and smirked.

"If you want a rematch with me then you have to earn it." He said. May fumed.

"What?" Brendan grabbed onto May's shoulder to keep her from charging at the boy.

"May, look around you. It's really late." He smiled. "We should get going." The girl looked up towards the dimming sky that glowed orange. She didn't even realize how much time passed! Finally she sighed.

"Fine, let's go." She huffed as she turned her back towards the emerald eyed boy. Before she had a chance to take her first step, an arrogant voice called over to her.

"Hey May," Drew said, "You should come watch me perform tomorrow if you want to see what I can really do." May turned back with a look of disgust.

"Fat chance," she replied, bending over to pick up her weak Torchic. "I wouldn't be caught dead watching you perform in a stupid contest." Drew laughed, pulling his right hand out of his pocket and holding it out for her to see. There were two black and white cards. May looked curiously at them before grabbing them.

"What are these?" Brendan asked, taking a card from the girl and examining it.

"Passes to watch the contest tomorrow in case May changes her mind." Drew replied. May jammed the card into her pocket.

"Whatever, I'm not going." She turned on her heels and began to walk away, Brendan following after her.

"Bye!" the ruby eyed boy shouted towards the green haired Coordinator, sending him a big wave. Drew flipped his hair and gave a small hand gesture back before turning and walking towards the red building. Finally, Brendan turned towards May. "I want to see that contest tomorrow!" He exclaimed. "It sounds fun!" May shook her head.

"No way! Not if that jerk is going to be in it!" She shouted.

"Oohh come on! He's not that bad! He seems to really like you; at least enough to give us passes to the contest!" May balled her hands into fists, when suddenly a thought hit her.

"Wait, yes! We should go! This would be the perfect time to study Drew's Pokémon and come up with a battle strategy!"

"That's the spirit!" Brendan cheered.

"I'll earn my rematch and finally beat him!"

"Yea—wait," Brendan began, pausing in the middle of his cheer, "how are you supposed to earn that rematch?" May shrugged.

"Who knows, but either way I'm getting one!"

* * *

May and Brendan approached the Contest Hall early next morning to get a look at all of the contestants who would be entering. May had her nose buried deep in her pamphlet.

"Lets see… The first round is called the Appeal Round where Coordinators show off their Pokémon's moves. The second round is called the Battle Round where the highest ranking Coordinators from the Appeal Round compete in…Pokémon battles!" A smile grew on the brunette's face. "Maybe this show won't be as boring as I thought! Especially if we get to see some tough battles!"

"Remember," Brendan began, "these battles aren't about how strong the attack is, but the beauty of it." May sighed.

"Oh yeah. Maybe this show WILL be as boring as I thought." Brendan sweat dropped as the duo headed inside the building. The place was filled with tons of Coordinators from all over the region. May examined all of the different types of Pokémon in the room. For some, she had to examine them with the Pokédex she received at the same time she got Torchic. Brendan, being a big lover of Pokémon, was doing the same with sparkles in his eyes. "Look at all of the Pokémon!" He cheered, collecting their data in his Pokédex. "I've never seen so many out in the open before! Most of them can't even be found around this area! Dad will be so happy!" May laughed at her friend's enthusiasm.

"At least someone is having fun." The two trainers stopped and turned around after hearing the sound of the familiar voice, coming face to face with the green haired Coordinator.

"Drew," May muttered. "What do you want?" She asked sharply. Drew smirked.

"I was just observing the competition when I noticed the girl who wouldn't be caught dead being here." May scowled.

"I have my reasons." She spat. Brendan smiled.

"What do you think of the competition, Drew?" he asked. Drew flipped his hair and crossed his arms.

"From what I see, I don't have anything to worry about." He said with his trademark arrogant tone. May rolled her eyes.

"That's a relief," She said with sarcasm, placing her hands on her hips and looking away. "I was so worried."

"Me too!" Brendan smiled, obviously oblivious to the sarcasm. May fell to the floor animatedly.

"**COORDINATORS, PLEASE REPORT BACKSTAGE. THANK YOU**!" The voice on the intercom said. Drew smirked.

"That's my cue," he said as he turned to walk away. Brendan turned towards May.

"We should go find our seats."

* * *

"The next Coordinator is Drew from LaRousse City!" The audience roared with excitement at the young, nationally known Coordinator, save for May. She just crossed her arms with annoyance as the boy walked up on stage, confidence radiating off of him.

"Go, Roselia!" He shouted, throwing the Pokéball in the air. The green grass Pokémon came out and did a little twirl in the air. "Use Petal Dance!" Roselia responded, releasing the pink petals all around the stage. "Now use Magical Leaf!" He ordered. Colorful leaves mixed in with the petals as they showered the stage. May watched with anticipation, eyes fixed on the beautiful performance.

"He's doing really good!" Brendan smiled. May softened up a bit.

"Yeah…so far." She added the last part after she realized what she said. Drew _was_ really good, but she wasn't going to admit it to him.

After a few more flashy stunts performed by Drew and around ten more Coordinators performing, Drew and nineteen other people made it to the Battle Round, making May release the breath she didn't know she was holding when she saw the green haired Coordinators face appear on the screen.

May hated to admit it, but whenever Drew performed she actually found herself occasionally squeezing the arms of her chair with excitement.

_Stop getting so worked up! _She thought to herself constantly. Finally, the Semi-finals were over with Drew and another skilled Coordinator named Amy moving onto the Final Round.

"We now move on to the Final Round! Drew verses Amy! Begin!"

"Go, Roselia!" Drew called out as he threw the ball in the air once again, releasing said Pokémon.

"You're up, go Ralts!" The girl called. The green and white Pokémon emerged from its confinement, doing a little flip in the air before landing in front of Roselia.

"It's cute!" May gushed. Brendan smiled.

"You think so? You should catch one!" The trainers laughed and turned back to the battle.

"Roselia, Magical Leaf!" The stunning leaves came out in a swirly vortex and headed straight for the smaller Pokémon.

"Ralts, use Teleport!" Amy ordered. Ralts obeyed and, within seconds before the attack could hit, Ralts vanished. A confused Roselia looked side to side for its missing opponent. "Now, use Psychic!" Drew's eyes opened wide as he saw where the Ralts ended up.

"Roselia, behind you!" He called out to his Pokémon. It was too late, however, as the force of Psychic blew Roselia back on the other side of the stage.

"OH!" Vivian, the announcer shouted. "That's going to cost Drew some points!" May looked up at the screen that hung above the middle of the stage.

"Looks like Drew is in a pinch." Brendan said. "Think he'll make it?" May squeezed her Torchic and scowled.

"I hope not. I'll never hear the end of it!" Secretly though, she was a little worried that he wouldn't win.

"Roselia, use Poison Sting!" Drew commanded. Roselia stood up and twirled around, breathing slightly heavier but still in good condition, and released said attack. It looked like the beautiful glowing needles were going to hit Ralts head on until…

"Ralts, Teleport again!" Once again, the small Pokémon disappeared, reappearing off to the far left of Roselia.

_Not again! _Drew thought. _I need to keep Ralts from using Teleport. _

"Use Confusion!" Amy shouted.

"Dodge!" Drew shouted. Roselia jumped into the air and missed the attack by just a hair, doing a little flip and landing back on its feet.

"Oh, that's going to cost a few points for Amy!" Vivian shouted.

_Wait, I have an idea. _The emerald eyed boy thought as he noticed the way the Pokémon kept on moving.

"Roselia! Now use Stun Spore!"

"No you don't! Ralts! Teleport!" Ralts teleported away for a third time while Roselia began to spin.

"Hey, he's using the same trick he pulled on me when we battled!" May exclaimed, remembering the beauty of the attack well. Gold flakes showered the entire stage. When Ralts reappeared, it too was affected by the golden dust.

"Wait, No! Stun Spore covered the entire stage instead of just the spot Ralts was in!"

"Now you can't use Teleport anymore!" Drew smirked, flipping his hair. "Roselia, Petal Dance!" Roselia obeyed and within the next minute, the match was over, Ralts being too weak to battle any longer.

"And the winner is Drew from LaRousse!" Vivian called out. May sighed with relief and Brendan smirked.

"Happy?" He asked, a big grin on his face. May blushed.

"N-no! I'm upset!" She shouted. Torchic chirped happily and the two trainers stood up to go congratulate the Coordinator.

* * *

"Good job man! You did great!" Brendan cheered, patting the Coordinator on the back. May stood beside the boys with her arms crossed.

"Was there ever any doubt?" Drew asked arrogantly as he flipped his hair and crossed his arms. May scoffed.

"See? I knew we'd never hear the end of it." She said dryly. Drew smirked.

"I haven't even started." He replied smugly. May glowered.

"D-Drew!" A small, recognizable voice said. Drew turned around to see Amy running towards him. She had amethyst eyes and bright red hair that was held up in large swirly pigtails by two small ribbons. She had on a light purple vest with a hood attached to it and a black and dark purple long sleeved shirt on underneath. She wore a purple skirt that went to the middle of her thighs and knee high black socks with purple shoes.

_She looks like a doll! _May observed. It was pretty hard to tell with how high up they were sitting.

Amy approached the group and smiled. "That was a great battle." She said. Drew nodded.

"You almost had me." He replied smiling genuinely. May scoffed and leaned in to whisper to Brendan.

"He gets all nice and friendly when he's around pretty girls." She said sourly. Brendan smiled and sweat dropped. Drew glared over in May's direction.

"Jealous?" He asked, his trademark smirk forming on his face. May blushed then fumed.

"Absolutely NOT!" She shouted. "There can be fifty girls around you and I wouldn't care!" Suddenly, high pitched shrieks of excitement could be heard.

"It's Drew!"

"Ohmigawd he's hot!"

"Drew! Over here!"

"No! Drew! Look at me!"

"Kyaa~~!" With that, Drew was attacked by what appeared to be dozens of obsessive fangirls. May stood there, her mouth wide open, as the young Coordinator sweat dropped. He shoved passed the adoring girls over to May.

"You just had to open your big mouth." He sighed. Brendan laughed.

"You sure do have a lot of fans!" he exclaimed. Drew glowered at that statement when all of a sudden he felt something grab his wrist.

"Come on! Over here!" Amy whispered to the group as she pulled Drew away from all of the girls. They rushed out of the Contest Hall and ran around the side of it where people usually practiced. It was deserted. Screams of protest could be heard in the distance as they ran disappeared in the opposite direction.

"Thanks for that Amy." Drew smiled. The girl grinned.

"No problem! You see, I'm a really big fan of yours too, but not that obsessive. I just wanted to tell you that even though I lost the match, I'm glad it was to you." Drew nodded.

"Are you going to compete in Slateport City too?" He asked. Amy shook her head.

"Nah, I have other places to visit and compete at. Speaking of that, I really need to get going! Bye, and nice meeting you…" She started when she was cut off.

"May," May smiled.

"Brendan," Brendan followed suit. Amy's face brightened up.

"Nice meeting you guys! Drew, May, and Brendan!" With that, she turned and ran away. Brendan looked up at the sky.

"I should get going too. I think I slacked off long enough." He crossed his arms and stared over at May. "But how am I going to make sure you get to Rustboro City?" May sighed.

"Trust me Brendan, I'm fine." She assured the ruby eyed boy. Brendan shook his head.

"No…hey…yes! That's it!" Brendan ran up to Drew and slung his arm over the boy's shoulder. "Drew, can you escort May to Rustboro City for me?" Drew stared back with a look of confusion, and stepped away from Brendan, letting the white haired boy's arm fall back to his side.

"Why?" He asked. "She said she could go on her own."

"Yeah, I-I don't need an escort! Especially _him_!" She spat, emphasizing the word him by pointing at the Coordinator. Drew flipped his hair.

"Well, you both are heading in that direction, you to get to Slateport and May to get to Rustboro, so why not go together? That way neither of you get lonely!" May fell silent. She did get lonely at times, but she didn't want to be in the company on that arrogant jerk! Drew looked over at her and, as if reading her mind, gave an arrogant looking smirk.

"I could care less either way, as long as her traveling with me doesn't get in the way of my plans." Drew finally said.

"What?" May shouted. Drew shrugged.

"Sure. We're heading in the same direction." Brendan cheered in excitement.

"Great! Then I'll be off! I'll see you soon May!" He called out as he took off down the road, giving one last farewell wave. May sighed as she turned back towards Drew.

"Well, now that that's over with, I guess I'll be going." She turned to walk away when she felt something grab her hand gently. She turned to see Drew staring smugly at her. "Umm…?" She started as she looked down at the hand that was holding her hand and back at the boy.

"We're traveling to Rustboro together, remember?" He asked as he released May's hand with a smirk.

"Y-you were serious?" May stammered. "I thought you said that so Brendan would go away…" She started when Drew walked up beside her.

"Like I said, as long as you traveling with me doesn't interrupt my plans then I don't have a problem with it. We're heading to the same place so we might as well go together." He started to walk away when he stopped and turned back around. "Plus, I don't want you to get _lonely_." May blushed furiously and gripped her Torchic in anger, shaking a fist at the boy.

"Why you—!" She started as she took off after Drew, a faint smile on her lips.

**(A/N: Please don't forget to tell me what you think of the story so far! There's a lot more to come! Reviews are appreciated! They inspire me to update faster! You can also tell me what I need to improve on or if there's something you want to see more or less of. Thanks!)**


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